Summary: Just after chapter 52, Liam wakes up with Lily in a grassy meadow and is soon surrounded by Lottie, Fang and Doug. Will Break (now missing his sense of smell) and Oz be able to find him in time? Crack "fight scene" but a sweet reunion for Break and Liam.

Words: 1179

Rating: G

Writer's Note: this is the sequel to "The Scent of Memory: Bitter Loss"

The Scent of Memory: Sweet Friendship

Liam woke up and felt wet grass underneath him. Where the heck am I? He opened his eyes, but without his glasses, he couldn't see very far.

He heard a little girl's voice. "You woke up, Liam! Horray! Let's play!" Liam gasped as Lily's tattooed face appeared, inches from his.

The nightmare of the previous night came back to him…getting his neck bit by Bandersnatch, the crazy conversation he had with Lily, the way he'd tried to kill her but she didn't die like he expected. She's immortal, he thought, and shuddered. He felt the wound in his neck, which was caked in dried blood.

"Do you see it, Liam?" asked Lily, full of wonder and excitement.

"See what?" he muttered, pulling himself up to a standing position. "I can't see much of anything without my glasses."

"Ah, your glasses!" said Lily, looking sad. "I'm so sorry I stepped on them before we left."

"Where are we?" he asked, looking around.

"We're in a meadow somewhere," announced Lily. "Bandersnatch tried to carry you but we couldn't get very far. Finally I got tired and decided we'd just sleep here for the night."

"You don't know where we are?"

"Not really! But it's okay! Someone from Baskervilles will find us for sure!" She said, grinning sweetly. "So Liam, don't you see it? Don't you see the golden light?"

"Uh, no?" Liam wondered what she was talking about, but then remembered her story of the previous night; how Baskervilles found their calling as Baskervilles after seeing a golden light and feeling drawn to follow their master Glen.

A sense of dread crept over Liam. Does she think I am supposed to be a Baskerville? Am I one? I don't feel like one. And I sure haven't seen any light.

"Sorry to disappoint you Lily," said Liam.

"Really, well that's too bad, because I really like you Liam, even though you tried to kill me. But if you aren't a Baskerville I'll have to kill you. Bandersnatch!" she summoned her chain and he appeared like a big black furry shadow full of sharp teeth.

"W…wait!" Liam thought. Maybe I could pretend I'm a Baskerville. She's just a child, I could probably fool her and bide my time. "Why, I do see a light, Lily! It's…it's golden!" Liam looked around him, pretending to feel a sense of wonder.

Bandersnatch snarled, and Liam started shaking all over.

"Pathetic," barked Lottie, who had just appeared from behind a tree. "You're a terrible liar, Mr. Pandora Guy. What's your name anyway?"

"This is Liam!" exclaimed Lily. "Oh, you guys finally came! Doug! Fang! Lottie! Horray!"

Oh, dear God I am so screwed. Liam couldn't see their faces but he knew who they were by their red robes.

"I found him looking for sealing stones, too," Lily declared. "Those Pandora guys are our enemies, right?"

"Yes, Lily, they certainly are," said Fang, smiling and picking the little girl up in his arms. "Good job detaining him!"

Leon and Bandersnatch sidled up to Liam and growled at him.

"And now, Mr. Liam," said Lottie, pressing his face into her breasts, "tell Sister everything you know…"

"Tell me what you know about the seals, and about Glen and Jack Vessalius," cooed Lottie, running her fingers through Liam's hair as she smothered him with her cleavage. "Or else, you'll make a lovely meal for our chains. I see Bandersnatch already took a bite out of your neck, and I'm sure he'd love to taste you some more." She fingered his wound, which was becoming infected.

"Owww! Mrrph…I don't know anything, I just do what I'm told," mumbled Liam, trying to come up for more air.

"Then who is it that gives you orders?" asked Lottie. "Who told you to look for the sealing stone at Yura Isla's?"

"That would be me," said Xerxes Break, who stepped out from behind a large rock.

Startled, Lottie loosened her grip on Liam.

"You!" she said, looking at Break. Then she looked at Doug and Fang. "This is that weirdo I was telling you about."

"Xerxes! Oz!" gasped Liam, standing up straight.

"And Oz Vessalius…what luck!" cooed Lottie. "I was hoping to…"

"Save your breath, Lottie," said Break. "We outnumber you here."

The Baskervilles looked around and then looked askance at Break, who appeared to them incapable of counting.

"No, no silly!" said Lily, giggling. "There are only three of you Pandora people and four of us Baskervilles. So we out number you!"

"Thank you for the clarification, Young Lady," Break said, bowing in her general direction. Hoho, you told me exactly what I needed to know. "But you forget that Oz and I hold the two most powerful chains."

Break pushed back his hair and with a great rush of wind, Mad Hatter appeared with a swirling cacophony of mayhem.

"Xerxes!" screamed Liam, "The Baskervilles are immortal!"

Break looked in Liam's direction with a touch of surprise, and then nodded. Within minutes, the four Baskervilles were whisked off to a travelling circus and freak show, miles away, while Oz quickly decapitated Leon and Bandersnatch with B-Rabbit's scythe.

"That was awesome!" said Oz with a smile. "I could get used to this scythe."

The wind died down, and Break was on his knees, coughing up blood.

"Xerxes!" exclaimed Liam, rushing over to his friend and getting down on his knees beside him.

"Liam!" said Break, putting his arms on Liam's shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine…but what about you? You shouldn't have used Mad Hatter just to rescue me!"

"I didn't use Mad Hatter just to rescue you…I-"

"Yes, you did," interrupted Oz. "The whole way here you were talking about Liam. You can't fool me…I know he's important to you."

"Liam, you're all…covered with dried blood?" asked Break, a concerned look on his face as he felt Liam's clothing.

"Um, Bandersnatch took a little bite out of me, it'll be fine after it heals."

Liam quivered a bit as Break touched his face.

"Where are your glasses?"

"Gone."

Break started another coughing fit.

"I'm not worth it, Xerxes. You shouldn't have used Mad Hatter."

"Liam, you are totally worth it," said Break, patting him on the shoulder. "You found out they are immortal and told me. That's incredible information. I wonder what else you found out." He looked around. "Did someone just open a cask of wine?"

"No," said Oz, looking around. "Must be another one of your smell memories, Break-san."

"I lost my sense of smell, Liam," said Break, forcing a smile.

Liam's face showed more concern than words could convey.

Break grinned and said,

"I was just remembering that time we got really drunk on wine and stole a cake from the Barma's kitchen."

"Yes! You tried to eat your half so fast," said Liam, reminiscing. "And I made you laugh so hard that cake came out of your nose!"

"Hoho! That was truly quite a night," chuckled Break. "You see…you are so very worth saving…you're the only one in the world who could make me laugh so hard!"